Chevy diesel

In America, November is a month of thanks- and I have a lot to be thankful for this year. One of those things is the fact that GM decided to let me drive a 2014 Chevy Cruze Diesel from Oak Park, Illinois to Wellington, Ohio to visit friends and family over the Thanksgiving weekend. All I had to do in return is let you, dear readers, know what I thought of the thing. SO, sit back and get ready, because this is going to be a weird one.

1. the Chevy Cruze Diesel is a Quality Car

More than anything else, what struck me most about this latest Chevy CavalierCobalt Cruze was how well-built everything is compared to Chevy compacts of yore. Even compared to my 2009 Malibu mild-hybrid, the doors shut with the same sturdy “whoomp” you’d only get from Mercedes’ doors a generation ago. Beyond that, everything feels over-built- from the full-opening rubber door seals to the heavy hood to the beefy door-handles. I loved all of it, and it definitely gave me the impression that I could expect to get 200,000 plus miles of loyal service from the little sedan.

On top of the “quality feel” of the components, the 2014 Chevy Cruze Diesel had instruments that were easy to read and almost everything was, generally, easy to set and adjust. I say “almost” everything, though, because of this …

Did I say I hated it? I don’t hate the Chevy MyLink’s bizarre mix of touch-screen and button-driven menus, I loathe it. I despise it. I am against everything the people who made it stand for, sure- but I don’t hate it. What I hate is everyone at GM who decided that MyLink should be a thing in the first place. Surrounded by quality sheet metal, soft leather, and legitimately slick gear head tech (more on that, in a moment), the MyLink system seemed cheap and out-dated, leading me to ask, for the thousandth time, why automakers don’t just build a quality iPad dock into their dashboard and work with Apple (or HTC, or whoever) to get the drivers right. There is simply no reason for GM (or Ford, or any other car-maker) to be in the OS/GUI space, and MyLink is a vivid example of why that’s a fact.

If I’m being 100% honest, however- I did find a way to make the MyLink system do exactly what I wanted: I used OnStar.

OnStar continues to be the biggest and best selling point for GM vehicles. GM were mad- MAD, I tell you!- to ever let that slip into the hands of their competitors. When I pressed the button, I was greeted at 4AM, on Thanksgiving morning, by a cheerful OnStar agent who set my GPS, found me an XM station, and popped the trunk for me while I was fumbling around looking for an in-car trunk release (which I never did find, by the way).

2. the Chevy Cruze Diesel is Full of Racy Tech

The 2014 Cruze I drove was packed with racy, gear head tech. From active aerodynamic shutters that closed at speed to reduce the car’s drag to the 2.0 L Ecotec diesel that, once I figured out where to shift, gave back more than adequate performance and acceleration. All that tech, including the traction control and anti-lock brakes, was nearly invisible from the driver’s seat. Perfect, in other words.

3. the Chevy Cruze Diesel’s MPG is Amazing

I’ve made the drive from Oak Park, IL to Oberlin, OH more times than I can count by now, and I know just about every exit on the 335-ish mile trip. Let me tell you that, despite doing the math, I wasn’t mentally prepared to make the entire trip on half a tank of gas. I was, in fact, blown away by the idea that I could drive from Chicago to Cleveland and back on a single tank of gas.

That kind of range, combined with solid build quality, is what EVs are up against. It’s not about whether or not electric cars are going to displace gasoline-powered cars, it’s about what EVs can offer over cars like the Chevy Cruze diesel. This is the future of middle America, guys: diesel.

4. the Chevy Cruze Diesel Should be a Buick

Besides the hateful MyLink system, there was something else about the Cruze that upset me. In fact, for the entirety of the five days I was in the car, I kept finding myself staring at it …

… the passenger door panel didn’t seem to line up with the dashboard. It’s a problem, sure, but it’s one that I was willing to forgive. After all, the 2014 Chevy Cruze diesel was fast, relatively comfortable, packed with features- did I mention the doors shut like my dad’s old Mercedes SL?

I was willing to let it go, is what I’m saying. That is, until I had the following conversation about 100 miles into Indiana:

Me: Doesn’t that bother you?

Wife: Doesn’t what bother me?

Me: Your door. It doesn’t fit right.

Wife: It’s fine.

Me: No. No, it’s not. You don’t see that in the little Voklswagen wagons, and that’s what this car is supposed to be competing against.

Wife: I could see it competing with the Volkswagens.

Me: Yeah?

Wife: I like the big screen. I like the OnStar. I like the Nav. I feel like it’s safe.

Me: I thought you hated diesels?

Wife: I can’t really tell it’s a diesel. It’s fine. I could see you buying one of these, if it was a wagon. (Are you listening, GM!?)

Me: They make a wagon.

Wife: How much is it?

Me: I don’t know. The GM guy left me a folder that has the window sticker in it. It’s on your side. What does it say?

Wife: $28,000.

That’s right, kids. GM is asking twenty and eight thousand US American dollars for its 2014 Chevy Cruze diesel sedan – and that seems utterly unbelievable to me. That price, by the way, is $1000 more than the Volkswagen Jetta TDi with all the same goodies, plus a 6-way power driver’s seat, a sunroof, push-button starter (it’s a thing), and the all-important VW badge on the front of the car.

It seems to me that GM has a problem with the Cruze diesel. They’ve built a car that’s capable of going toe-to-toe with a premium competitor, but they’ve stuck the wrong badge on the nose. The truth is that this engine placed in Buick’s baby Verano (which is based on the same platform as the Cruze) could demand a $30K OTD price without anyone batting an eyelash.

Granted, you could make a case that Buick doesn’t appeal to millenials and that Chevy is trying to re-establish itself as a brand that young professionals would consider shopping, but that would be a ridiculous, crap argument. There is no reason to believe that putting the 2.0 L Ecotec turbodiesel engine in a Verano would hurt Chevy’s Cruze sales, and there are plenty of reasons to believe that a diesel offering in a compact Buick would give that brand an edge in the entry-luxe Acura/Lexus/Volvo field that Buick plays in.

So, would I buy a $28,000 Chevy Cruze? If it was a wagon, maybe. As a sedan? Not a chance- but I would recommend the car to, say, my in-laws. It’s a great little car, then, but not for me.

The rumors have proven true, and the answers of truck owners everywhere has been answered. Maybe. Today Chevrolet pulled by the covers on the all-new 2015 Chevy Colorado, a mid-size pickup packing a pair of small-displacement gasoline engines. A year after its 2014 debut, GM will begin offering a 2.8 liter Duramax diesel, making it America’s smallest diesel pickup.

With bolder looks and a lighter weight than its big brother, the Chevy Silverado, the 2015 Chevy Colorado manages to weigh some 900 pounds less than its larger sibling despite only being offered as an extended or crewcab model. The Colorado will be offered in WT (Work Trim), LT, and Z71 configurations for those looking to get some off-roading in.

At launch a pair of gasoline engines will be available, with the base motor being a 2.5 liter four-cylinder making 193 horsepower and 184 ft-lbs of torque. A 3.6 liter V6 will offer 302 horsepower and 270 ft-lbs of torque for those needing more grunt, but the real reason to get a Chevy Colorado won’t arrive until the 2016 model year.

That’s when the 2.8 liter Duramax diesel four-cylinder engine will become available, and while specific fuel economy and power specs aren’t available yet, we have a lot to look forward to. The Thai-built global Chevy Colorado uses the same engine to make some 200 horsepower and a monstrous 368 ft-lbs of torque. A six-speed automatic is the exclusive transmission option as of now, and isn’t likely to change given recent advancements in automatic transmission efficiency.

An all-new, much nicer interior seems to be a step up from the mid-size pickups of the past, and GM is betting it will have best-in-class fuel economy. The 2015 Chevy Colorado price hasn’t been discussed as of yet, though it should start right around $20,000, a bit more-expensive than the aging competition.

While we still have a ways to wait for fuel economy figures from the upcoming diesel engine, I have a very good feeling about the new Colorado. A diesel-powered midsize pickup? Just what I’ve been waiting for.

We’ve been looking forward to the reveal of the Chevy Cruze Diesel for some time now, and finally the day has arrived. Annnd…we’re kind of disappointed with both the price and the EPA rating, at least at first glance. But if you take a step back, the Cruze Diesel still has a lot to offer if you’re the kind of person who buys a car, and keeps it.

First let’s talk price. The $25,695 price tag represents a $2,550 gap over an equivalent Chevy Cruze 2LT with the 1.4 liter turbo engine. The Cruze Diesel comes with a leather interior, 17-inch wheels, a 17-gallon gas tank (that lessens trunk space by two cubic feet) and the Aero Performance Package. The 2.0 liter diesel engine is backed by a six-speed automatic transmission, and gets 42 mpg on the highway, equivalent to the Chevy Cruze Eco.

However, the diesel engine holds a few perks, most notably their ability to consistently outperform their EPA ratings. The Volkswagen Jetta TDI can reportedly reach 50 mpg on the highway with relative ease. Diesel engines also make more torque, with 258 ft-lbs on tap as well as 148 horsepower. Diesel engines are also known for their reliability and longevity, so if you’re in it for the long haul, the Cruze diesel could be a great long term investment.

But if you take things at face value, and factor in the higher cost of diesel fuel, then you could be looking at it taking a century or more to get a return-on-investment. The 2.0 liter diesel can also run up to a 20% blend of biodiesel (B20) but requires a refill on the urea fluid every 10,000 miles to keep that clean diesel clean. Perhaps once GM offers a “stripper” model sans the leather seats and big wheels at a lower cost, the Cruze diesel might make more sense…and cents.

American automakers have shied away from diesel passenger cars for the past few decades due to bad experiences in the early 1980s. But 2013 could be a watershed year for diesel cars in America, and General Motors is set to lead the way with the Chevy Cruze Diesel, set to debut next month at the Chicago Auto Show.

GM already sells a diesel-powered Cruze over in Europe, where a 2.0 liter turbodiesel engine delivers 130 horsepower and 221 ft-lbs of torque. Rumor has it that the Cruze Eco-D diesel could achieve as high as 50 mpg on the highway using the EPA testing method (though in the UK the Cruze is rated at more than 72 mpg) and could go up to 700 miles between fill-ups.

While diesel fuel is more expensive in America, those extra mpgs could go a long way towards saving drivers money at the pump. The current Chevy Cruze Eco is rated at up to 42 mpg highway with a six-speed manual transmission, so an 8 mpg improvement could mean a few more days between fill-ups.

The Chevy Cruze Diesel is reportedly going on sale in the second-quarter of 2013, which means it has to be unveiled soon. With just two major U.S. car shows between now and April, that leaves only Chicago and New York as options…and early indicators point towards Chicago.

GM follows the lead of Chrysler, which will offer a 3.0 liter turbodiesel V6 in the Jeep Grand Cherokee this year as well. The five-passenger SUV have a 30 mpg highway rating, 7 mpg more than the gas-powered V6 model. At the end of the day, it all comes down to the MSRP. Can GM and Chrysler make the dollars-and-cents case that diesels are a better option than hybrids or EVs?

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The content produced by this site is for entertainment purposes only. Opinions and comments published on this site may not be sanctioned by, and do not necessarily represent the views of Sustainable Enterprises Media, Inc., its owners, sponsors, affiliates, or subsidiaries.